


true north

by grahamcracker76



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Star Wars: A New Hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:54:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23458129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamcracker76/pseuds/grahamcracker76
Summary: Luke was everywhere, his presence all around him, and it felt like belonging. It felt like the moment when he turned the Falcon around to point him back towards Luke - it felt like coming home.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker/Han Solo
Comments: 13
Kudos: 109





	true north

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jessebee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessebee/gifts), [Cara_Loup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cara_Loup/gifts).



> Welcome to my first attempt to write fic for Han and Luke. While I’ve been stuck at home during the COVID lockdown, I’ve taken this opportunity to explore many of the works for this ship by many talented writers, and I wanted to offer something of my own. This fic takes place at the end of ANH and onwards. 
> 
> This fic is for jessebee and Cara_Loup, with thanks for their many wonderful works that spoke to me and inspired me.

“Well Chewie, we’re on our way,” Han said.

He sat back in the pilot’s seat and kicked up his feet, watching as the stars streaked by. _Home at last_ , he thought. He had everything he wanted - he had his ship, a whole lot of money, and no obligations. By all rights, he should be the happiest man in the galaxy. Instead, he felt a vague sense of unease settle over him, guilt refusing to let him sit easy with the choice he had made.

 _You should have stayed_ , he thought, letting the guilt wash over him. _You should have stayed and fought._

 _And what good would that do?_ he asked himself. He knew what the odds were on the scrappy little Rebellion winning against the Death Star, and they weren’t good. Any sane person would get out while they still had the chance. 

But Luke… Luke was different. Since the day he met the kid, Han knew. Luke burned bright across his sky, dazzling Han with his fierce determination and headstrong ideals and his unquenchable thirst for life. Luke _believed_ in things with every part of himself, and for some unfathomable reason, he had chosen to believe in Han. Han didn’t know what Luke saw in him, but something made him want to be the person Luke thought he could be. He thought back to Yavin, when Luke confronted him.

***

“Well take care of yourself, Han - I guess that’s what you’re best at,” Luke said, lashing out with a barb designed to hurt.

And it did. Han watched Luke turn to storm off, bristling with indignation, and he couldn’t let him go, not like this.

“Luke,” he called, desperate, and Luke turned, meeting his gaze with a hard look that said he’d already said goodbye. Han faltered - what was he supposed to say? _Don’t go? I’m sorry? I love you?_

His mind stuttered over the words, thrown entirely off course. He’d never allowed himself to think it, never even considered it… and now it crept up on him at the worst time. Unfortunately, Han thought as he probed his feelings, that didn’t make it any less true. Here he was, in love. With Luke. Who was about to go and get himself blown up, and there was nothing Han could do about it. There was nothing he could say to make this better.

So, instead he forced a smile. “May the Force be with you,” he said, gently as he could. It was a compromise more than anything, he knew. He might not believe in the Force, but Luke did, and if something out there could help Luke get through this alive, then who was he to question it.

Luke held his gaze, searching. He smiled and nodded, and then he was gone.

Han watched him walk away, feeling the distance between them almost like a physical pull.

Chewie huffed at him, giving him a long look that was all too knowing for Han’s comfort.

“I know what I’m doing,” he insisted.

***

Back in the Falcon, Han put his head in his hands, setting off sparks behind his eyes. “I know what I’m doing,” he said again, but his words were empty, and he knew he was only trying to convince himself.

He took a breath, trying to center himself. Deep down, he knew that his decision was already made, he just needed to find the strength to make it. All his life he’d been running from everything - maybe it was time he turned around and ran towards something for a change. Or someone.

“Oh, screw it,” he said abruptly, jerking into action. “Chewie, change course. We’re going back.”

Chewbacca roared his approval, and a smile tugged at Han’s lips.

 _Hang in there, kid_ , he thought. _We’re on the way_.

***

They arrived not a moment too soon.

The Falcon burst into being above the Death Star, and Han’s blood ran cold when he saw a lone X-wing speeding down the trench with enemy ships on its tail.

The X-wing swerved constantly, staying just out of reach of the fighters, and somehow Han just knew that was Luke. But then the X-wing stilled, getting ready to take the shot, and Han knew it was now or never.

“C’mon, c’mon…” he muttered, swinging the Falcon closer. He took a shot and knocked one ship off course, the other spinning off into the trench and bursting into a firey explosion.

“Yahoo!” Han shouted into the comms, dizzy with relief and elation. “You’re all clear, kid - now let’s blow this thing and go home!”

***

Back at the base, they were greeted by applause and celebration. People were crowding the bay, shouting the news, hardly able to believe it. Against all odds, the Death Star had been destroyed. Excitement was only building, and if Han was any judge, the party would go on long into the night.

And there was Luke, the hero of the day, tugging off his helmet and scrambling down from his ship. He was instantly surrounded, being patted on the back by everyone in reach. Even Leia raced in, laughing as she pulled him into a hug. But Luke only had eyes for one person, and Han only had eyes for him.

They raced towards each other, throwing their arms around each other and holding on tight. “Great shot, kid - that was one in a million,” Han said, and Luke beamed up at him.

“I knew you’d come back, I just knew it,” he said.

Han’s heart swelled with the thought that if he could deserve the look in Luke’s eyes, then he had to have done something good for a change.

“That’s one you owe me now,” he said, “besides, I couldn’t let you get all the reward.” It was a flimsy cover, and Luke knew it, if the way he shook his head and laughed was any indication. 

“I knew there was more to you than money,” Leia said good naturedly, and he couldn’t find it in himself to disagree.

Han found that he couldn’t care less if his front was that transparent. It was strangely nice to be seen so clearly - by present company, at least. As for what other revelations this night might bring - well. After the startling realization of all that he nearly lost, he wasn’t going to wait another day. All he needed was some liquid luck and a whole lot of courage.

***

Han would say this much about the Rebellion: they might be the most straight-laced group he knew, but they sure knew how to cut loose and throw a party when the time called for it. Celebration was the order of the night - people crowded into the caf and let talk and drink flow freely. 

Through it all, Luke was the center of everything - constantly besieged by words of thanks and congratulations. Luke could have had the willing company of anyone in the room, and yet he had been a warm, solid presence by Han’s side the entire night, giving no indication that he wanted to be anywhere else.

Han tried to cope as best he could, although Luke’s sudden closeness was not doing his tenuous self control any favors. He felt the heat of Luke’s thigh pressing up against his, the warmth of his body so close, and yet he wanted more. So close, and yet not close enough… if he had to endure much more of this, Han was bound to do something stupid.

Han took deep breaths in and out, trying to steady himself. He could feel his fingers trembling where his hands were resting on his thighs, and he tightened his grip until his nails dug into his skin. _It’s just Luke_ , he thought, _there’s nothing to be afraid of_. And yet, perhaps it was for this very reason that he was trembling with nerves. This was Luke, and he was quickly becoming the most important person in Han’s world.

He let out his breath in a huff, and Luke gave him a sideways glance, his brow quirking in question. “Everything all right?” Luke asked.

“Oh, fine,” Han said. “Just… still taking it all in, I guess.” He slouched back in his seat, casually resting an arm on the back of the booth behind Luke’s head. If he dangled his hand just so, he mused, his fingertips might just barely brush against Luke’s shoulder. 

“I know what you mean,” Luke said with a rueful smile. “For one, if you hadn’t shown up, I don’t know where I’d be.” He turned towards Han, his eyes bright, and Han froze, caught in his gaze. “You saved my life, Han, and I…”

“Woah, hey,” Han objected, his throat tightening at the thought, “don’t go giving me all the credit. I meant what I said, kid - one in a million could’ve made that shot.”

“But I couldn’t have done it without you,” Luke went on stubbornly. “I was racing down the trench and it was now or never and then I heard your voice over the comms and somehow I just knew I could do it. What I’m trying to say is… thank you. I knew you would come back.”

“You would have done the same for me,” Han said, because he knew without a doubt that it was true. He knew Luke, with all his fierce determination and idealism and loyalty, and he trusted Luke completely. Sure, they hadn’t known each other that long in the grand scheme of things, but the bond they had forged was built to last forever.

Luke held his gaze a moment longer before he nodded. “You’re right about that,” he said. “It’s what we do, you and me”

He sat back, leaning into Han’s pseudo-embrace, and Han felt his heart swell. Maybe he was fooling himself, it felt like something had just solidified between them, something important. He looked at Luke, simply drinking in the sight of him, and Luke looked right back, his lips curving in a slow smile. He really was beautiful, Han thought, held fast by Luke’s warm gaze. Luke’s fathomless eyes seemed to see into his very soul, and while the thought should have scared him, Han found there wasn’t anything he didn’t want Luke to see.

“Hey, you want to get out of here?” Han asked.

“Sure, why not?” Luke said.

They stood, and Luke’s fingers tangled briefly with his own as they rose. It happened so quickly it might have been an accident. In fact, Han thought he must have imagined it, until he looked back at Luke to find him smiling, a soft look in his eyes that was just for Han.

“Come with me,” Han said with a smile.

***

They walked back to Han’s quarters side by side, keeping the space between them as small as they could. Han was achingly aware of every little touch between them as they walked: from the fleeting brush of Luke’s fingers against his, to the warm press of their shoulders against each other, and the heat of Luke’s body so close to his own. Really, Han thought, it was all he could do not to break into a run and drag Luke along with him. Somehow, they made it to his quarters with their dignity intact, though Han was so wound up with anticipation he felt sure he would shatter at Luke’s slightest touch.

Once the door slid shut behind them, everything changed. Gone was the thin veneer of calm and restraint as they reached for each other, both of them desperate with desire. Han’s arms wrapped tight around Luke’s waist as Luke’s fingers twisted in his hair, pulling him down to fasten his lips to Han’s.

To say that Han had never imagined what this might be like would be far from the truth. Late at night, when he’d been alone in his bunk, he had let his thoughts wander, and somehow he was never surprised that his thoughts always seemed to come back to Luke. So yes, he’d thought about it. He knew Luke well enough by now to have some pretty detailed fantasies, but none of them came close to reality. Reality was so much better.

In reality, Luke showed none of the hesitance or passivity Han imagined he might have. There was nothing passive about the hungry kisses Luke was giving him, full of passion and fire, burning bright as the twin suns of his home planet. There was no hesitance in the way Luke’s hands tugged off Han’s vest and slid under his shirt, his hands hot on Han’s skin.

Not to be outdone, Han started to work on Luke’s shirt, his fingers struggling with the buttons as Luke pressed a line of kisses down his neck, pausing to suck on his collarbone. Han groaned and gave the shirt up as a bad job, pulling Luke’s lips back to his. It was becoming clear to him that every second not spent kissing Luke was a second wasted. Luke’s lips moved with his, opening for him to let their tongues tangle together, and Han gave as good as he got, drinking Luke’s moans from his mouth like a man dying of thirst.

When they finally came up for air, they were both flushed and breathless. They stared at each other, and the moment seemed to stretch between them, making clear the importance of what they were about to do. “Han…” Luke said, his gaze searching. He reached up to frame Han’s face between his hands and kissed him, slow and gentle, deep and claiming. It was a kiss full of promise, and Han returned it with everything he had.

“This needs to come off,” Han said roughly, tugging at Luke’s shirt. Luke’s lips quirked as he pulled the offending article up and over his head, letting it fall to the ground amid the growing pile of clothes. 

“Better?” Luke asked, raising a brow.

“Much,” Han managed, his mouth going dry as he stared at all that beautiful desert-tanned skin on display. He reached for Luke and kissed him, all hunger and fire and passion. Luke moaned and leaned into it, his palms siding down Han’s bare back, fingers tightening at his waist. Then, Luke’s fingers slipped beneath the waistband of Han’s pants to grip at his skin, pulling them together. Han gasped as he felt Luke’s hardness against his, a need matching his own. “Luke…” Han groaned, his own fingers made clumsy with desire as he fumbled with Luke’s pants. Luke smiled, bright and teasing, his fingers working at Han’s belt and pushing his pants out of the way.

Clothes tossed aside, they tumbled together on the bed, laughing as they landed in a tangle of limbs. Breathless with wonder, Han brushed Luke’s hair from his forehead and pressed kisses wherever he could, from his eyelids, to the tip of his nose, to the spot just under his jaw. Luke jerked and writhed against him, his pulse thundering wild beneath his skin as Han sucked at his neck, nipping at the sensitive skin with his teeth and tasting the salty sweetness of him with his tongue.

“Han, just… c’mere,” Luke gasped, his fingers tightening in Han’s hair, insistent and irresistible. Han let himself be tugged back and held fast as Luke spread his legs to cradle Han’s hips, bringing them together chest to chest. “Like this,” Luke whispered against Han’s lips, “please? I want to feel you.”

Impossible to resist, when Luke asked like that, breathless and wanting. Han caught Luke’s mouth with his own and thrust against him, the beginning of a devastating rhythm. Luke arched against him, instinct taking over as pleasure built between them.

As they rocked together, time seemed to slow, each moment endless in liquid pleasure. Han’s senses were full of Luke: his taste, his touch, his warmth. Luke was everywhere, his presence all around him, and it felt like belonging. It felt like the moment when he turned the Falcon around to point him back towards Luke - it felt like coming home.

And they were both ready; Han could feel it. He felt it in the tensing of his thighs, the frantic stuttering of their hips, the bruising grip Luke had on his waist. They were both ready; Han could see it in Luke’s eyes, as he curled a hand around Han’s neck and pulled him in. “Now,” Luke said, his lips whisper-soft against Han’s, “together.”

Han kissed him, one hand wound tight in Luke’s hair as the other reached between them to stroke them as one, hard and unrelenting. They tipped over the edge together, knowing nothing but each other as pleasure ripped through them like a supernova, explosive and beautiful. And then they were falling, falling, falling, but there was no fear in the fall. They had been falling for a long time, and now they knew there would be a safe landing, because they were together.

It took a long time to come back to reality. Han guessed he must have drifted off at some point, because when he came to, he was still wrapped around Luke, his head resting on Luke’s chest. Luke was obviously awake, his fingers stroking idly through Han’s hair. Han turned his head to squint up, finding Luke looking back with a soft, private smile that was just for him.

“Hi,” said Luke.

“Hi yourself,” Han replied, reaching up to pull Luke into a kiss. Luke hummed, seeking out Han’s tongue and with his own. The urgency of the hunger between them abated now, there was nothing hurried about this kiss, nothing to rush as they re-learned the shape of each other’s mouths with dedication and care. It was reassurance, and benediction, and promise in one. It was Han and Luke, together at last.

“So,” Luke said when they finally pulled away and settled back against each other, “I’ve been thinking.”

Han snorted. “Yeah?” he asked, “sounds dangerous.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I’ve been thinking… is that offer still open? You know… me going off with you and Chewie.”

Han froze, hardly daring to breathe. He’d made the offer as a flight of fancy, hiding what he really wanted in a last ditch effort to get Luke safely out of harm’s way without ever really expecting that it would be accepted. He never really thought Luke would actually take him up on it…

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, leaning up on his elbow to stare down at Luke. “It was only yesterday that you were asking me to stay, and now… what changed?”

Luke’s eyes softened, and he reached out to trace Han’s jaw with gentle fingers. “You see… I wanted to make a difference and do my part,” Luke said, “and now that’s done… I think we’re entitled at least a long vacation, don’t you? There’s more to the universe than death and destruction, and I’d like to see it, if I could. Preferably with you, if you’d have me along.”

“If I’d…” Han said, shaking his head in disbelief. He kissed Luke hard and deep, feeling dizzy with joy. The world was spinning. He didn’t know which way was up or down, but there Luke was steady beside him, his true north, the light amid the darkness. Luke was answering the secret wish of his heart, Luke was asking to come with him, Luke wanted him. Han felt a smile breaking free, and he couldn’t stop it if he tried. “Of course you can come,” Han said. “We’ll show you the galaxy. I’d like nothing more.”

“Good,” Luke said, kissing Han once more. “I can’t wait.”

He smiled, dazzling as the sun, and Han kissed him again, and again, and again. The future was laid out before them, bright with excitement and adventure, and they would meet it together, hand in hand.

***

E N D

***

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
